It will be as much a road test as a road trip. The 10-game, three-city journey the Mets begin tonight in Florida is not the team’s final exam, but it could go a long way in deciding how the 2005 Mets are remembered.

Starting with Dontrelle Willis tonight in Florida, the Mets (69-64) face the Marlins’ big three (including Josh Beckett and A.J. Burnett). Then the Mets are off to Turner Field to face their nemesis, the perennial NL East-champion Braves. Finally, the Mets are in St. Louis to battle the team with baseball’s best record, the Cardinals.

After losing two of three to the Phillies at home, the consequences for the next 10 days grew.

“I think we all look at this road trip as an important road trip, but it is more important now,” said Tom Glavine, who took the loss yesterday despite pitching seven innings of two-run, three-hit ball.

Glavine (10-12) was done in by two runs in the first. Though much of the focus was on a potential double-play ball he botched, Glavine said he felt he got squeezed by home-plate umpire Larry Young during the inning, which led to, uncharacteristically, two walks.

The Mets barely could threaten against ex-Yankee Jon Leiber (13-12) and relievers Ugueth Urbina and Billy Wagner. The Mets were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

In the home clubhouse afterward, there was a sense that, especially against control pitcher Lieber, the Mets were trying to do too much.

Floyd often is the most honest Met assessing their situation. Yesterday, he again did not hold back.

“It is a make-or-break road trip, right here,” Floyd said. “That’s not a hard thing to see.”

Glavine cinched his $8 million contract option for next season in the first, but the inning was costly. After allowing a one-out double to Jason Michael and a walk to Bobby Abreu, Glavine had two chances to prevent any damage.

The lefty forced Pat Burrell to hit a comebacker. With a chance to start an inning-ending double play, Glavine didn’t receive the hop he expected and fumbled the ball.

“I don’t know if we would have turned it or not,” said Glavine, who recovered to snare Burrell at first.

Next, facing Chase Utley, Glavine went up 1-2, then tried to nibble the outside of the plate. He walked Utley on a 3-2 pitch.

“I felt comfortable, I just didn’t get the benefit of too many calls in the first inning,” Glavine said. “There were some pitches where I wasn’t quite sure where they missed.”

The walk of Utley loaded the bases and set up David Bell’s two-run bloop single to right.

The Mets cut the lead in half in the sixth when Jose Reyes led off with a triple and later scored on Kaz Matsui’s groundout.

Down two runs in the ninth against Wagner, Matsui walked to start the inning. Carlos Beltran struck out; Cliff Floyd hit into a fielder’s choice; and David Wright took an inside 98-mph fastball for a called third strike. Upset with the call, Wright threw his helmet in disgust.

All of the 38,316 fans in the ballpark knew the Mets missed an opportunity the past two days, but Willie Randolph remained upbeat.

“I’m positive,” Randolph said. “I feel good about my guys. No doom and gloom. We look forward to this next road trip. It is our next challenge.”